Boston Magazine

The SKY motif is taken to new heights here. Heavenly blue and wispy clouds cover the ceiling, stars dot the walls, and a whimsical plane hangs in one of the dining rooms.

If only the Muzak were less Barry Manilow and Kenny G. But the catch phrase at this new place is Fun American Food, so I’ll have to let those annoying details ride. In a lot of ways, this is the quintessential suburban restaurant in size (230 seats, most of which are in big booths) and menu (extensive).

The sight of steam rising from the Vegetable Stew in a tomato-saffron broth is heartening on a cold day. Lunch and dinner offer Jambalaya Pasta, Three Cheese Ravioli, or lots of chicken entrées, from lemon-garlic roasted to Caribbean to jerk-rubbed.

There is also a nice selection of salmon, scrod, and shrimp, and a group of men at the next table are discussing how one fish is “all white with no belly,” as if they had caught it themselves. The Seafood Stew is loaded with clams, shrimp, mussels, and fish in a savory saffron broth similar to that served with the Vegetable Stew.

The house-made mile-high apple pie tempts, but our perky blonde waitress suggests the Apple-and-Berry Cobbler: “My mom was in today, and she loved it.” Granted, fruit cobblers may be simple to make, but when warm and topped with a beany vanilla ice cream, they’re the most satisfying way to end a meal.

Owner Stephen Corcoran, who was with the Back Bay Restaurant Group for 10 years, says what he likes about his place is the mix of people. On a typical evening, he says, there will be “guys in suits and others who have just come from plowing.” I wonder if he means fields or snow, but that’s the beauty of this semirural, mostly affluent area.